Senior Sales Director, Consumer Goods at Microsoft

London, England, United Kingdom -

Full Time

Start Date

Immediate

Expiry Date

20 Feb, 26

Salary

0.0

Posted On

22 Nov, 25

Experience

10 year(s) or above

Remote Job

Yes

Telecommute

Yes

Sponsor Visa

Skills

Strategic Sales Leadership, Executive Customer Partnership, People Development, Team Culture, Business Management, Sales Operations, Consumer Goods Industry Expertise, CxO Engagement, People Management, Team Building, Analytical Skills, Financial Skills, Innovation Mindset, Growth Mindset, Commitment to Inclusion, Tech Ecosystem Experience

Industry

Software Development

Description

Strategic Sales Leadership: Set and drive the go-to-market strategy for the Consumer Goods sector. You will define clear objectives for growth in this vertical, identifying priority accounts and opportunities (across sub-segments like food & beverage, personal care, tobacco, apparel, etc.). Executive Customer Partnership: Serve as a trusted advisor to C-suite executives. This consultative, innovation-focused approach should lead to expanded business opportunities and multi-year digital transformation roadmaps with each customer. People Development & Team Culture: Lead a team of account teams (Including at least one Sales Manager and a number of Account Executives and Account Tech Specialists) with a people-first mindset. You will invest time in coaching and mentoring, provide clarity in roles and expectations, and celebrate team successes to energize and inspire your team to great achievements. By cultivating a trusted, open, inclusive environment, you enable your team to perform at their peak and deliver exceptional results You will ensure that account plans and sales presentations resonate with industry-specific challenges (e.g., managing channel partnerships, direct-to-consumer trends, sustainability and ESG goals in consumer goods). You will have an exceptional ability to build relationships within a highly matrixed and complex organisational structure and have the ability to orchestrate internal resources and partner solutions to present a unified, industry-relevant value proposition to clients. Business Management: Oversee the sales operations and performance management for the consumer goods ATU. You are responsible for pipeline management, revenue forecasting, and delivering on quarterly and annual targets for your territory. If course correction is needed to meet goals, you will develop and implement action plans (e.g., focused sales campaigns, executive sponsor interventions, resource adjustments) to get back on track. Extensive Sales Leadership: 8+ years of enterprise sales leadership experience, with at least several years in a role managing sales managers or multi-layer teams. You have led sizeable sales organizations and are skilled in setting strategy, managing performance, and driving growth. Candidates should illustrate a consistent history of hitting/exceeding targets and leading market making transformational wins. Consumer Goods Industry Expertise: Demonstrable expertise in the Consumer Goods industry. This could be through direct employment in a consumer goods corporation or through significant client work in the sector. The ideal candidate understands the business models, market trends, and pain points of consumer goods companies - such as product innovation cycles, supply chain and logistics challenges, consumer marketing and retail channel strategies, and the impacts of digital transformation on the industry. Being conversant in the language of the industry (e.g., discussing FMCG market share, direct-to-consumer initiatives, etc.) is key to establishing credibility. Strategic CxO Engagement: A proven track record of engaging and influencing C-suite executives in an enterprise sales context. You should be able to cite examples of building a relationship with an executive sponsor and driving a significant deal or partnership through that relationship. This includes strong presentation and negotiation skills, business acumen to discuss ROI and business outcomes, and a consultative selling approach. The ability to instil confidence and become a trusted advisor to executive stakeholders is essential. People Management & Team Building: Minimum of 3 years in a formal people management role, with experience leading teams through change. You have a track record of hiring, developing, and retaining top talent. Your leadership style should emphasize empowerment, clarity, and empathy - creating an environment where team members can perform their best. Evidence of improving team engagement or rebuilding a team culture in a past role will be valued. Education: A Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Marketing, Engineering, or a related field is required. An MBA or other advanced degree is preferred, particularly if complemented by relevant industry or management coursework. Equivalent professional experience will also be considered. Regardless of degree, a strong grasp of business strategy and technology is needed. Qualifications:Consumer Goods Sector Network: A well-established network in the consumer goods sector - for example, connections with industry executives or experience in industry forums - can help accelerate success. The ability to leverage industry contacts for customer insight, market knowledge, or even recruiting strong talents is a plus. Tech Ecosystem Experience: Experience working within or alongside the technology ecosystem relevant to enterprise sales. Such experience implies familiarity with enterprise technology sales cycles, cloud platforms, and how to position complex solutions - enabling a smoother transition into this role. Innovation and Growth Mindset: Demonstrated ability to drive innovation and change. Perhaps you spearheaded a new digital initiative in a traditional company, or you transformed a sales approach to unlock new customer value. We look for a growth mindset - someone who is not satisfied with status quo, but actively seeks ways to improve business outcomes, learn new skills, and encourage the team to do the same. Analytical and Financial Skills: Strong analytical capabilities to interpret business performance data, identify trends, and make data-driven decisions. Comfort with financial concepts (budgets, P&L, deal economics) is helpful, as this role will involve optimizing large contracts and investments. The ability to think both strategically and execute operationally (switching from “big picture” to “quarterly results” and vice versa) will set the candidate apart. Commitment to Inclusion: A leadership approach that values inclusion. A preferred candidate will have examples of championing inclusion initiatives, ensuring a wide array of perspectives and an equitable team environment. This position will be open for a minimum of 5 days, with applications accepted on an ongoing basis until the position is filled. *

Responsibilities

Set and drive the go-to-market strategy for the Consumer Goods sector while overseeing sales operations and performance management. Lead a team with a people-first mindset, ensuring account plans resonate with industry-specific challenges.